two summers ago we had a (short) stint in beach volleyball. we'd get together after work, set up a net and play volleyball until the sun set. it became of combination of friend groups, co-workers and roommates and we even took it as far as to enter a tournament... it was literally fun… and different! and on one of the volleyball evenings my friend christine brought a group of her coworkers and that's the first time i met jaymee.

a couple of weeks ago, christine and i drove to new westminster and visited jaymee in her apartment. we started off sitting on the ground with the books on the coffee table before jaymee got up and started pulling out things to show me.

at the end of the interview, i looked at the 5 books jaymee chose to show me and noticed how there was no specific theme. if you had zero context while looking at the five books, it could have been the monthly staff picks at your neighbourhood book store.

do you ever wonder why we're so interested in watching mtv house tours, what's in my bag or even grwm? it's fascinating to see someone else's personal space, belongings, or things they use. an intimate or mundane moment becomes a display for others to view and perceive. there's performance to it, the personal becomes public, we can't look away.

but maybe the reason we find it so alluring is not in seeing the space, belongings or products themselves but in becoming aware of the context.. the story. where they got the art piece hanging on their wall, which movie the ticket stub is from or why she put on her blush before her bronzer.

earlier this month, there was an article on i-D magazine by Letty Cole The Rise of the Gen Z Weird Collector. my initial thought was "fuck, i wish i thought of a series like that first". i quickly realized that although it was interesting to see these unique collections... these versions of collection didn't fully resonate with me.

the article highlights the desire to collect ultra-specific and quirky items as a reflection of our desire to find identity and comfort within a digital world. a desire to cling to tangible material. each collector and collection is presented with a specific theme or category. interesting shoes. fragrance and crystals. slogan t-shirts. alternative phones.

the ultra-specificity in these collections are satisfying to see. rows of items laid out in uniform or organized chaos. but what's missing for me is the relatability. letty cohen presents some data around the history of collectors and collecting as a "habit that has marked every generation". it's true, there are impressive collections and we've seen countless collectors obsess over niche and quirky things.

but it's less interesting to think that a collection of things has to be ultra-specific to be a collection.

"monthly favorites" highlighting our favorite products, clothes, objects and media from the past month. photo booth strips on our walls, in our phone case and clipped onto our journals. sometimes it feels messy, like we don't know exactly why we're wanting to show each other these things. but really, it's a way to feel close to each other within the digital space.

i can't help but think how much of our desire to collect under a theme might be an act of collecting to make a collection. and what just becomes a collection over time through the things you decide to keep?

to categorize the practice of collecting into one specific thing takes away from our decisions to keep multiple things.

the practice of collecting can be murky… not everything is a matter of going outside and picking up rocks or waiting for mail to collect stamps. a lot of the time, the things we collect or keep need to be purchased.

in recent years, my version of collecting and keeping has been focused around various trips i've taken. i stopped trying to plan purchases or make a wishlist and decidedly purchased or brought back things that I wanted to keep. whether that happened to be a ceramic from a thrift store, a rock from the beach or a exhibition pamphlet from an art gallery. these tangible things aren't under a specific theme or category (i don't just buy books) and one collection of things certainly doesn't define me.

i'm inherently reflected in the decision to buy, keep, save, or collect. and over time, it becomes. and i don't need it to be ultra-specific because in it's random-ness it is specific... to me. i am the unique, the quirky, the weird.

the most meaningful way i've gotten to know jaymee has been through hearing the context, the stories and moments around these books she has purchased or kept. she hasn't collected books to become a book collector but a collection of things (which include books) begin shape who she is. the decisions she makes, the things she likes and where she has been.

here are five books that jaymee showed me:

1. tricot COMME des GARÇONS spring/summer 2016 lookbook

I don’t look at it thinking “what should I wear today” but it feels like what I gravitate toward. For the most part, everything I gather is something that I could see in my life in because otherwise why would I look at that?

2. workbooks 1984-2024, nigel shafran

I follow this artist on instagram and when I was at a store and saw it, I really liked the layout. It reminded me of myself and how I scrapbook and write things in my journal.

3. stussy nike zine

My boyfriend gave me this because he knows I collect stuff like this. It feels randomly put together... like they wanted to document the trip and it wasn’t something they intended for their audience or market to see.

4. i like myself, yayoi kusama

I like it because I’ve never really seen this part of her work. Her poems are so cute and also kind of sad. What are you going to be known for? There could be something that you’re really proud of but it just doesn’t stick with people. What if she’s really proud of her poems? But nobody really pays attention to them

5. outside, sheldon ruddock

My friend made this book. His name is Sheldon and I’ve known him since highschool. He always found celebrities on the street and would get photos and records signed by them. I love drag and my friend made it so I wanted to have it.

the interview with jaymee salisi took place in her new westminster apartment on october 19, 2025. photo documentation support by christine baik.